Flying-machine.



. WITNESSES T. A. BRING.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ran. 24, 1912.

1,034,430. Patented m 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IN VE N TOR mm Maw 7 WWW,

T. A. DRING.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1912.

1,034,430, Patented Aug. 6,1912.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR Q ,4 bola/1 9 TAD rim/g. wwzw I 4 li /fl/yaw,

Attorney.

T. A. DRING.

FLYING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION TILED FEB. 24, 1912. 1,034,430. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR 6&5, M. 1mm km-744M MM- Attarne y.

THOMAS AUGUSTUS BRING, OF TROWBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

FLYING-MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

Application filed February 24. 1912. Serial No. 679,646.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it'lcnown that I, THOMAS AUGUSTUS DRING, a subject of the King of Great- Britain and Ireland, and residing at Sunny Bank, Trowbridge, in the county of Wilts, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flyingmachines of the type in which combined lifting and propelling devices are employed, each. of

Nwhich consists of a shaft carrying a plurality of flat radially arranged blades or vanes Which spring froma common hub or center and extend outward both longitudinally and radially at an angle with the axis of the shaft, so thatduring rotation both the inner and outer edges of said blades or vanes take an inverted cone-like path about their axis of rotation, and it has for its object increasing the lifting and propelling power of the combined lifting and propelling devices whereby the efiiciency and utility of the machine ismaterially enhanced.

According to the present invention the blades or vanes are inclined in the direction of rotation, that is to say, their tip ends are in advance of their root ends; the outer edges of the blades or vanes are setat such an angle with the axis of the shaft carrying them that the path formed by them when rotating has an angle of from 80 to 90; and the units of each pair of devices employed are inclined outward from one another each at an angle of from to to the vertical. Means are also provided to prevent the inflow of air at the bases or roots of the blades or vanes so as to leave undisturbed the inflow of air at the base of 40 the coned path formed by the tips of the blades and the outflow of air. at the sides of the coned path formed by the outer edges of the blades.

In order that this invention may be fully 45 understood I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of a machine embodying this in-- vention., Fig. 2 is a View inplan thereof. Fig. 3 is a view in section on line A-A of Fig. 1 and Figs. 4 and 5 are views in elevation and plan respectively on an enlarged scaleof the improved combined lifter and propeller.

Throughout the views similar parts are '55 marked with like letters of reference.

The combined lifter and propeller has a plurality of blades or vanes a -that illus hated by Figs. 4 and 5 having threewhich are inclined in the direction of rotation, 2'. e., with their tips a in advance of their roots or bases (1 The hub which carries the blades or vanes is of such: a size as will prevent any inflow of air at their roots or bases or alternatively-in order to save weight-the hub may be provided with a shield, such as :12, for said purpose. The inner edges a of the blades are curved so that the path taken by them is that of a concavely curved cone, and the outer edges a are straight from the root to near the tip so that the path taken by them is that of a straight or flat-sided cone having any angle of from to 90.

I-n lifters constructed. in the manner speci- 75 field the air passes out from the path of the blades or vanes at approximately right angles to the outer edges of said blades, 5. e., at right angles to the path made by the outer edges of said blades, and therefore so at a considerable angle to the axis of the shaft carrying them. By using lifters of this type arranged in pairs with their two shafts a and a inclined outward from one another at such an angle that each lies at an angle of from 40 to 435 to the vertical, and by causing said lifters to rotate in opposite directions the greatest possible action and reaction of and on the air are Obtained and the body of the machine can be suitably disposed in relation to the lifters without interfering-with said action and reaction.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the body of the machinewhichis of any suitable construction and material-is shown taking the form of a boat and is provided with two "vortex lifters, the arrangement being such that with the shafts of the lifter inclinediupward at.an acute an 1e and at a right angle With the longitu inal axis of the machine the latter will be lifted. The shafts a of the lifters are driven by skew bevel gearing running in a metal gear case b. The driver wheel is car- 'ried on a short horizontal shaft, one end of which projects from the gear case sufliciently to allow of its being coupled to the shaft of Y a suitable engine 0. This connection maybe made through the medium of a clutch. The shafts of the two driven wheels project upward from the gear case b at angles of 45 or thereabout and revolve in opposite directions. Universal joints d of the ring and pin type are fixed to the ends of these shafts where they project and serve to connect them with the shafts a of the vortex lifters. At a suitable distance from such universal joints each vortex lifter shaft passes through a ball thrustbearing carried in a movable block 6 to which a certain amount of lateral motion can be imparted by means of a screw and nut f controlled by a rod and hand wheel g. The thrust of the shaft upon the movable plummer block is taken by a steel band h surrounding the base of the plummer block and securely fastened thereto, and the other end of the band encircles a fixed circular block k around which it is free to move within certain limits, and which is bolted to the framework on immediately below the universal joint, the center of the block 00- inciding with the central pivot of the joint. The band thus acts as a radius rod describing the same arc as the shaft immediately above it. From this fixed block radiate tension rods (not shown) to different parts of the framework supporting the aviator and machinery. The whole lifting and propelling power of the vortex lifters is thus concentrated upon these two blocks. For rising vertically and for hovering in the air each vortex lifter shaft is brought into alinement with the geared shaft to which it is connected. For forward progression the two hand wheels 9 are turned simultaneously in opposite directions until the desired speed is attained, the right and left handed screws f to which they are connected conveying a forward lateral motion to the respective vortex lifter shafts through the two movable plummer blocks e. To travel backward the motion of the hand wheels is reversed, and to steer to the right or left both hand wheels are turned in the same direction, either clockwise or anti-clockwise. The effect of this latter action is to throw forward one lifter and to throw backward the other.

A fan-like expanding and contracting tail such as t may be employed to operate in conjunction with the vortex lifters when they are at rest to insure the safe descent of the machine in case the motor stops or any accident occurs to the machinery.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a flying machine, a combined lifting and propelling device consisting of a shaft adapted to be rotated, and a plurality of radially arranged flat blades or vanes mounted on a common hub on said shaft and inclined in their direction of rotation, the inneredges of said blades being convexly curved so that when rotating the path formed by them is that of an inverted cone with concavely curved sides and the outer edges of the blades being straight from the root to near the tip so that the ath formed by them when rotating is that of an inverted cone with straight sides.

2. In a flying machine, a combined lifting and propelling device consisting of a shaft adapted to be rotated, a plurality of radially arranged flat blades or vanes mounted on a common hub on said shaft and inclined in their direction of rotation, the inner edges of said blades being convexly curved so that when rotating the path formed by them is that of an inverted cone with concavely curved sides and the outer edges of the blades being straight from the root to near the tip so that the path formed by them when rotating is that of an inverted cone with straight sides, and means for preventing the inflow of air at the bases or roots of the blades.

3. In a flying machine the combination of a two devices each consisting of a rotating shaft and a plurality of flat surface blades or vanes each radially arranged relative to the axis of said shaft carrying them and each inclined in the direction of rotation, the inner edges of said blades or vanes being of convex shape and the outer edges of flat shape so that on rotation said edges form inverted cone like paths, means for imparting motion to said shafts, and means for varying the angles of said shafts simultaneously .both in the same and'in opposite directions. 1

THOMAS AUGUSTUS DRING.

Witnesses:

E. J. FUSSELL, E. TYLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nve oents each, by addressing the Commissioner piratents, Washington, D. 0. 

